Will Main Vaapas Aaunga take a good start on 12th June?

– Since the film stars relative newcomers (Vedang Raina and Sharwari Wagh) in the lead roles, a good start may not be possible. But if the songs become popular by the time the film hits the screens, a fair start may be possible. Otherwise, the film will have to depend upon positive word of mouth for the collections to pick up.   

Why did this week’s Chand Mera Dil and last week’s Pati Patni Aur Woh Do not open well?

– That’s the tragedy of films nowadays. Many of them don’t even take decent initials and hence lose the box-office battle in the first weekend itself. Many people have stopped frequenting cinemas except for very big star cast films or those carrying extraordinary reports. They see the other films on OTT platforms when they stream after eight weeks. That’s the reason why many films open to dull houses.  

Why are three big films — Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, Bandar and Peddi Pehelwan (dubbed) — releasing on the same day (5th June) while no big film is slated for release in the previous week (29th May)?

– Yes, it’s strange but that’s the way it is. 

Why didn’t this week’s Pati Patni Aur Woh Do take a great start? After all, it carries the brand of two well-known and popular films viz. Pati Patni Aur Woh (old and new).

– The brand value in this case is not twofold because the first PATI PATNI AUR WOH was released in 1978. That’s 48 years ago! It is too far back in time to really help today, more so because it was not a landmark blockbuster in 1978. The second (2019) PATI PATNI AUR WOH was a successful film alright but that has somehow not aided the third film in the PATI PATNI AUR WOH series.   

Will producers ever return to the old style of having music by just one music director in a film or will we continue to have music by multiple music directors in a film?

– Both the styles will continue to co-exist. Although many producers today sign different music directors for a film, there are filmmakers who, even today, prefer working with just one music composer for a film.  

Will films made with AI-generated characters instead of real actors run successfully in cinemas?

– It is to be seen whether such films will strike a chord with the public. Given the way things are evolving, such AI films might work at the box-office though they cannot displace films starring real actors. 

Why do producers announce the release of their films without a CBFC certificate in their hands? I am asking this question with reference to not just this week’s scheduled release, Aakhri Sawal, which had to ultimately be postponed, but other films also.

– Producers are an adventurous lot. They announce the release of their films if they feel that the CBFC will grant the film certification without hassles. But if there is a problem at the eleventh hour, they are forced to postpone their film’s release. Frankly, true producers are adventurous by nature. If they weren’t so, they would never have the guts to make films.  

Saleable stars are in short supply. Films with other actors don’t open well. It is also a fact that today, the game is of initial. In such a scenario, what should film producers and directors do? How do they make films?

– The only option for them is to work hard, very hard on their scripts. Films with well-written scripts but starring actors who may not be saleable, tend to pick up after a slow start. So although we say that the game today is of initial, it is also a fact that good content works even if the start is slow.  

What are microdramas? One has been hearing about them here, there and everywhere. Can you please explain?

– Microdramas are serialised, vertical short-form video series made for viewing on your cell phone. An episode could last for one, two, three or more minutes. Microdramas originated in China where they are known as duanju. They are addictive, fast-paced dramas and are supposed to have high-stakes storylines — often romance, revenge, or fantasy — with frequent cliffhangers designed to maximise engagement and monetisation through apps. It is viewed as a growing business with huge potential. Yash Raj Films is entering the microdrama space with a budget outlay of Rs. 150 crore. 

Why has the release of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai been postponed to 5th June?

– It was clashing with CHAND MERA DIL, another romantic film, on the earlier scheduled date of release, 22nd May. So, the producers thought it better to go back to the original date — 5th June. You may recall that Tips had first planned to release HJTIHH on 5th June. They’ve now rescheduled the release to their original date. The release of TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS has been shifted from 5th June. That’s another reason why Tips announced their film on that date.

Why has the release of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups been postponed again?

– It has been postponed because the producers, KVN Productions, want to dub it in English and simultaneously release it Overseas like a proper English film. The dubbing can be done in a month but the film’s marketing abroad will take several months and hence the release had to be postponed. 

Why is there so much despair in the exhibition sector these days?

– When films don’t work at the ticket windows, there is bound to be despair — not just in the exhibition trade but in all the other sectors too.

Why hasn’t Lionsgate dubbed this week’s Michael in Hindi?

– Since it’s a biopic of King of Pop Michael Jackson, the makers did not want to dub it in Hindi as that would’ve necessitated dubbing of Jackson’s songs. Dubbing of the iconic songs in Hindi or, for that matter, in any other language, would’ve been weird. Anyway, Warner Bros. has given the English film a very wide release in India in spite of it not being dubbed in Hindi or any South Indian languages. Incidentally, the film is carrying extraordinary reports.

Now that corporates back most of the big-budget and star cast films, has it become more difficult for independent producers to make films?

– You bet, it has! They have now to compete with corporate-backed films for which budgets are never a problem. 

Is Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups (dubbed) releasing on 4th June?

– Yes, it is. There has been no further change in its release date after the shift from 19th March.

How long will it take for the box-office record businesses of Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge to be broken?

– The record business of DHURANDHAR was broken by its sequel, DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE. It is almost impossible to predict how long it will now take for a new film to surpass the total business of DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE and thereby break its record. Nobody can predict that because one has to watch the film which may seem to be the new record-breaker, before deciding whether it will do so.   

What are the ingredients of a blockbuster film?

– A solid story line, a phenomenal screenplay, and topnotch acting talent. Super-hit music can add greatly to the business. Not to forget: tons of good luck! 

Which film is slated to hit the screens in the Republic Day week next year?

– Sanjay Leela Bhansali has just announced the release of his LOVE & WAR on 21st January, 2027. 

Why did Dacoit Ek Prem Katha this week not take even an average opening? I ask this question because there was a famine of new releases after Dhurandhar: The Revenge, and hence it was expected that any star cast film would open to decent houses, such must be the hunger for a new film.

– In that sense, DACOIT EK PREM KATHA cannot be counted as a star cast film for the Hindi film-going audience because its hero, Adivi Sesh, does not have a loyal fan base among the Hindi film-going public so far.  

Which will be the next big thing on screen, after Dhurandhar: The Revenge?

– It just might be TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS (dubbed). People may be shocked by its teaser, but let me tell you, that titillating teaser has done the trick and it will draw the public into the cinemas.

Does online trolling affect a star’s saleability?

– Not really, unless the trolling is for a long period of time. It also depends on the reason/s for which the star is being trolled online. 

So finally, what you mentioned in this column last week has turned out to be true. That is, Bhooth Bangla has been postponed by a week — to 17th April. Is it a good move on the part of the producers?

– Taking into account the phenomenal box-office collections of DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE in the second weekend, producers Ekta Kapoor and Akshay Kumar decided to postpone their BHOOTH BANGLA by a week. Their decision was right because the box-office collections on the weekdays were also extraordinary. Since collections of a blockbuster film take time to come down, it’s a given that DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE will hold strongly at the turnstiles in the third and fourth weeks too. Hence the decision to move the release ahead by a week — from 10th to 17th April — was perfect.  

Has there been such a lull in film releases in the past?

– Never have I seen such a lull in film releases in the last so many years. Except for DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE, which hit the screens on 19th March, there has been no major release right from 6th March. And there won’t be any major release till 17th April. Imagine, no major release, except one, for six weeks!

What did you think of the Ramayana trailer?

– It is outstanding! The trailer is working its magic on the public. 

What worked the most in favour of Dhurandhar: The Revenge? Was it the success of the first part, Dhurandhar? Or was it the content of the film?

– The runaway success of the first part worked in favour of the sequel by ensuring that it (sequel) took a historic start. After that, it is the brilliant content of the second part, which is working wonders for the film. If the content was weak, the film’s collections would’ve come crashing down after the unprecedented initial. But that did not happen! That’s proof that the content has worked big time!

Why are there no major films slated for release this week and on 3rd April?

– Obviously, because producers did not want to get their film for at least two-three weeks after DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE. They estimated the DHURANDHAR sequel to rule the box-office for at least three weeks and, therefore, steered clear of the Fridays till 10th April.

Is Bhooth Bangla scheduled for release on 10th April or will it shift ahead by a week?

– As of now, the release is on schedule — on 10th April — but a lot depends on the way DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE fares in the coming days. If collections continue to be super-strong in the days to come, the producers of BHOOTH BANGLA may feel inclined to postpone its release by a week, to 17th April. The reason they want to stick to the 10th April date is because of the Ambedkar Jayanti holiday on 14th April. 

Will the business of Dhurandhar: The Revenge surpass that of Dhurandhar? I ask this question because the music of the sequel is not as hit as of the first part.

– Going by the super-flying start which DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE has taken, it seems all set to surpass the business of the first part. The ticket rates for the sequel have been hiked — not just in the big cities but also in ‘B’ class centres. Incidentally, it is not a rule that only films with super-hit music can work wonders at the box-office.    

What are your expectations for the first weekend’s all-India net collections of Dhurandhar: The Revenge?

– Rs. 350-plus crore in the first 4-day weekend (and including the paid previews)!!!!     

Why are there no major films releasing in the next two weeks?

– Perhaps, to avoid being wiped out by the tsunami called DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE.